A Change At Syracuse Is Needed

Dr. Daryl Gross came over from the University of Southern California (USC) four years ago in 2004 to become the athletic director at Syracuse University. USC is noted for being a solid academic school, but it truly shines in its athletics - especially in football. Three of the past six Heisman Trophy (awarded to the best college football player in the nation each year) have been from USC. Some of these names might be familar: Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer.

Southern Cal also sends countless players to the NFL each year. They've been to a BCS bowl game every year since 2002 - losing only one to the Vince Young-led Texas Longhorns.

So how has a man with such a pedigree for winning turned a solid, tradition-rich school like Syracuse into a laughing stalk on the gridiron? This was the school that showcased the talents of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Art Monk, Marvin Harrison, Donovan McNabb and Dwight Freeney.

For one, Gross has a tendency of pushing himself into the limelight, deflecting attention away from the football program. He also hired Greg Robinson to coach the Orange. Robinson's recorded since taking over as coach?

8-31

Or a winning percentage just north of 20. Clearly a change needs to be made. In my opinion Gross and Robinson both need to be shown the door. Then Syracuse needs to hire a progressive athletic director, along with a young, innovative coach who is willing to develop his own systems and recruit.

Josh Howard Digs Himself A Deeper Hole

During Allen Iverson's annual charity flag-football event Josh Howard thought it would be a good idea to express his disdain for the United States national anthem. He appeared on a cell-phone video, speaking to the holder.

"'The Star-Spangled Banner' is going on. I don't celebrate this [expletive]. I'm black …"

This is after admitting that he is quite fond of smoking marijuana in the off season during a playoff series with the New Orleans Hornets. He also saw his draft status take a hit a few years back when it became public knowledge that he was quite fond of pot during his college years.

Josh Howard is an extremely talented player, on a very talented team that won over seventy games two seasons ago. They added a first-ballot hall of famer Jason Kidd last year. However Howard's off-court antics often take center-stage and are a distraction for the team. I think the Mavericks best chance at winning a championship will come when Howard is no longer on their roster.